Minun/ORAS
Minun can only be found on Route 110. In Alpha Sapphire, it can only be encountered in a Horde Battle with four Plusle. Although the two Hoenn Pikachu clones may look harmless, they can be a deceptively useful asset, especially in the early-to-middle game. The early availability of Volt Switch, jointed with Electro Ball, gives Minun a reasonably powerful move to use until the advent of Thunderbolt, and Grass Knot adds to its coverage, allowing it to take on even Water/Ground-types under the right circumstances. Nasty Plot has further expanded Minun's options, reaching a respectable plethora of moves. Minun's stats may be nothing special, but its typing alone goes a long way. Important Matchups * Rival (Route 110): Minun's Electro Ball is very helpful against Wailmer, and works well against Slugma; both Pokémon are 2HKOed by it. Shroomish is an average 4HKO due to the resistance, but can be handled with Thunder Wave if available, providing that Minun does not get hit by Leech Seed. Minun must not fight Grovyle or Marshtomp under any conditions; the former resists Electric moves and can easily stack up damage with Fury Cutter, and the latter is immune to Minun's best moves and can 2HKO with Mud Bomb. Combusken can be paralysed with Thunder Wave, if Minun knows the move, but Double Kick will 2-3HKO Minun before Minun can 3HKO with Electro Ball, unless the paralysis kicks in. * Wally (Mauville City): Minun's Electro Ball easily 1-2HKOs Ralts. * Gym #3 - Wattson (Mauville City, Electric-type): Minun's chances against Wattson's team are decent if it knows Charge Beam. Since Minun resists both Volt Switch and Magneton's Magnet Bomb, as well as being immune to paralysis, it takes relatively little damage from the opponents' moves, and can set up Charge Beams indefinitely. At just +1 in Special Attack, Minun's Electro Ball is already slightly stronger than Magneton's Volt Switch, and Minun can also outspeed. The only threat to Minun's setups is Voltorb's Rollout; Minun can work around it by either getting to +2 or higher before fighting Voltorb, as that amount will guarantee the 2HKO with Round, or by using Encore on a move other than Rollout if Voltorb uses it. Minun should aim to reach +5 if possible, as that amount will guarantee the 2HKO against Magneton with Electro Ball, but +2 is also sufficient to beat all of Wattson's team, if Minun is kept healed throughout the fight when necessary. * Tabitha/Shelly (Meteor Falls, tag battle with rival): Against Tabitha, Minun should simply Volt Switch against Mightyena; Koffing's Self-Destruct, paired with Mightyena's Snarl, can kill Minun easily, and Numel's Magnitude even more so. Against Shelly, Minun can stay in for a few turns and try to weaken or beat either Mightyena or Grimer, for as long as Snarl and Mud Bomb combined do not impair its performance in battle; at that point, it should Volt Switch out. * Tabitha/Shelly (Mt. Chimney): Minun can beat Koffing with a combination of Electro Ball and Volt Switch, which will also remove it from the battlefield before Numel's Magnitude can cause any harm. Electro Ball also 2-3HKOs Grimer, whose Mud Bomb is only a 4HKO at best, and either Electro Ball or Volt Switch will also OHKO Carvanha. * Maxie/Archie (Mt. Chimney): Minun's Electro Ball is outdamaged by Mightyena's Assurance, which 3HKOs, though Minun may potentially win by paralysing Mightyena with Thunder Wave and then spamming Electro Ball; failing that, a well-timed Volt Switch will bail Minun out of potential danger. Golbat is 2HKOed by both Electro Ball and Volt Switch; against Maxie, Volt Switch should be used last, so that Minun may withdraw from the battlefield before Camerupt comes, whereas it can stay in against Archie, whose Sharpedo is either 2HKOed by Electro Ball or 1-2HKOed by Volt Switch. * Gym #4 - Flannery (Lavaridge Town, Fire-type): Minun 2HKOs Slugma with Electro Ball, and may opt for Volt Switch on the second turn, to bail out of the battlefield before Numel comes out; Minun should not fight against Numel, as it knows Earth Power. It may also win against Torkoal, depending on how the fight plays out; Thunder Wave is recommended, and if Minun is male, it should also run Attract to minimise the chances of Torkoal's Overheat hitting it. A fully healthy Minun may also skip the stall and 3HKO straight up with Electro Ball, as it can survive - although with very little health - even a critical Overheat. * Gym #5 - Norman (Petalburg City, Normal-type): Minun can do very little against the Slaking before they curbstomp it, though it can switch in on Vigoroth after the first Retaliate turn is over. Without the fainting boost, Vigoroth's Retaliate is a 3HKO, like Minun's Electro Ball; Minun is faster, and thus can win. * Courtney/Matt (Southern Island, tag battle with Steven): Minun should not enter the battlefield at all if Camerupt is still present, as it would either OHKO with Earth Power or come very close. It may sub in against Koffing, and 2HKO it with Electro Ball (Discharge has lower base power in doubles). Electro Ball also 2HKOs Sharpedo and 2-3HKOs Grimer, whose Mud Bomb is relatively weak; Volt Switch has a small chance of OHKOing Sharpedo. * Tabitha/Shelly (Weather Institute): Minun should come nowhere close to Camerupt, but easily OHKOs Sharpedo with Thunderbolt. * Rival (Route 119): Thunderbolt 1-2HKOs Wailmer and 2HKOs Slugma; it can also 2-3HKO Combusken, though Minun should first paralyse it with Thunder Wave, to prevent possible Flame Charge and Bulk Up setups combined. Although Minun can technically beat Shroomish, Thunderbolt takes several turns to do so; if better alternatives are available, Minun should not be used. Minun should also avoid Grovyle and Marshtomp, which either resist or are immune to its STAB and can deliver severe damage with Leaf Blade and Mud Bomb. * Gym #6 - Winona (Fortree City, Flying-type): Thunderbolt OHKOs Swellow and Pelipper, and 1-2HKOs Skarmory. Minun cannot fight Altaria, which knows Earthquake; it would lose even with an Ice-type Hidden Power, which is not guaranteed to 2HKO. * Courtney/Matt (Mt. Pyre): Minun must not battle Camerupt, but OHKOs Sharpedo with Thunderbolt. * Rival (Lilycove City): Minun's Thunderbolt OHKOs Swellow and 2HKOs Wailord, dealing more than enough damage to make Water Spout non-threatening after one hit. Thunderbolt also 2-3HKOs Magcargo, though Breloom is too strong for Minun to fight against. Minun must also avoid Sceptile and Blaziken, whose moves outdamage Thunderbolt by far, but can 2HKO Swampert with Grass Knot before it does so with Mud Bomb. * Courtney/Matt (Lilycove Hideout): Minun can OHKO Sharpedo with Thunderbolt. Camerupt no longer knows Earth Power, managing only a 3HKO with Rock Slide, but Minun's Grass Knot is nevertheless outdamaged and Camerupt also knows Curse; Minun should preferably leave Camerupt alone. * Gym #7 - Tate and Liza (Mossdeep City, Psychic-type): Lunatone is 2-3HKOed by Grass Knot, and Solrock is 2HKOed. As Lunatone knows Calm Mind, and its Psychic is guaranteed to 2HKO after one use, Minun should first focus on defeating Lunatone, aided by its battle partner if possible; preventing Lunatone's setups by knocking it out before Solrock will make the rest of the fight much easier, as Solrock cannot set up and only 3HKOs with Rock Slide. * Maxie/Archie (Seafloor Cavern): Mightyena and Crobat are 2HKOed by Thunderbolt, but going against Muk or Weezing is dangerous, as the former 2HKOs with Gunk Shot and the latter can OHKO with Explosion. Mega Camerupt also 2HKOs with Rock Slide, and Minun can only 4HKO it with Grass Knot at best; Mega Sharpedo outspeeds and kills Minun with Crunch. Even if Minun already knows Nasty Plot, a setup is not possible: Mightyena's Scary Face and Taunt would render the Special Attack boosts useless, and Crobat's Haze would remove them altogether. * Primal Groudon (Cave of Origin, Omega Ruby only): No. Minun is OHKOed by Precipice Blades. * Primal Kyogre (Cave of Origin, Alpha Sapphire only): No. Although Thunder is 100% accurate under heavy rain, it only 3HKOs Primal Kyogre, which in turn OHKOs with Origin Pulse. * Gym #8 - Wallace (Sootopolis City, Water-type): Luvdisc is the least threatening of Wallace's Pokémon, therefore the best opportunity to set up. Two Nasty Plots are sufficient to OHKO Luvdisc, Sealeo, Seaking and Milotic with Thunderbolt, and Whiscash with Grass Knot. * Wally (Victory Road): Nasty Plot helps Minun 2HKO Altaria, Roselia and Magneton with Thunderbolt, as well as OHKOing Delcatty, starting at +4. Mega Gallade, however, outspeeds and kills with Close Combat. * Elite Four Sidney (Ever Grande City, Dark-type): All of Sidney's Pokémon are physical attackers, and Minun's Defense is not good enough to set up. It can use Nasty Plot once and then OHKO Mightyena with Thunderbolt, but needs to Volt Switch out of the battlefield against Shiftry or Cacturne, both of which would KO it faster; it can then sub in and OHKO Sharpedo, even with Volt Switch, but needs to switch back out against Absol unless its health is somehow still full: both Thunderbolt and Night Slash are 2HKOs, and Night Slash can OHKO with a critical hit. * Elite Four Phoebe (Ever Grande City, Ghost-type): Minun should lead with Nasty Plot against Dusclops; although Dusclops knows Curse, Thunderbolt is only a 3HKO, and becomes a 2HKO after a Nasty Plot boost, effectively still KOing in three turns. At +2, Thunderbolt OHKOs both of the Banette as well as Sableye, otherwise only 2HKOed; if Minun is indeed Cursed in the process, it can Volt Switch out whenever its health gets low. Dusknoir, like Dusclops, is 3HKOed without Nasty Plot and 2HKOed after one use, and can 3-4HKO with Fire Punch or Ice Punch; Minun may fight it if still healthy enough, or at worst use Volt Switch to get out of the way. * Elite Four Glacia (Ever Grande City, Ice-type): Minun can afford to take two Crunches and use the turns to Nasty Plot. At +4, Thunderbolt OHKOs all of Glacia's team; only the two Froslass may outspeed Minun, though their Blizzard is only a 3HKO. Nevertheless, Minun should take this into account and never drop below half health while fighting a Froslass, as they can dodge hits with a combination of Hail and Snow Cloak. Setting up Light Screen can help reduce this risk. * Elite Four Drake (Ever Grande City, Dragon-type): Minun's Thunderbolt can OHKO Altaria, but only after three Nasty Plots, as the move is usually a 3-4HKO. The setup, however, is pointless if Minun does not know an Ice- or Dragon-type Hidden Power, as it will need to duck into the sidelines the moment Flygon comes out, as Earthquake is a straight up OHKO. A Minun with an Ice-type Hidden Power OHKOs all except Kingdra after one Nasty Plot, whereas a Dragon-type Hidden Power warrants the same OHKOs after two. A Minun without a super effective Hidden Power struggles against Kingdra, which 3HKOs with Surf; Minun needs at least +2 in Special Attack to 2HKO. It is also disadvantaged against Salamence, which nearly kills with Dragon Rush; Thunderbolt can OHKO for certain only if Minun's Special Attack is maxed out. * Champion Steven (Ever Grande City, Steel-type): Minun can use Nasty Plot to get to +6 in Special Attack, 2HKO Skarmory with Thunderbolt (due to its Sturdy), and then OHKO Claydol with Grass Knot. The setups are essential for Minun to get past Claydol. Minun then needs to Volt Switch out against Aggron, which would otherwise OHKO with Earthquake or come close; Cradily should not be fought even with the Nasty Plot boosts, whereas Armaldo can be defeated if Minun somehow still is at +6 in Special Attack, OHKOing with Thunderbolt. Without setups, Armaldo is also impossible, as it would most likely KO in two turns with Rock Blast and Minun's Thunderbolt is normally a 3HKO. Minun also needs to avoid Mega Metagross, which would destroy it. * Post-Game: There are multiple legendaries and Mega Evolutions in this segment. Probably not for Minun. Moves Minun's initial moveset at its earliest possible level is Growl, Thunder Wave, Quick Attack and Helping Hand. It then learns Spark at level 7, which most Minun will already have, unless they have been caught in a Horde. Spark is not terrible, but its base power translates to low damage due to Minun's very low Attack. Encore comes at level 10, but is only useful if the enemy Pokémon use status moves, particularly moves that inflict paralysis, since Minun is immune to it. Switcheroo, at level 13, has little to no purpose, and should not be learned. Electro Ball, at level 19, is much better: its minimum base power is 60, which is good for the mid-game, and it can reach a whopping 150 against very slow enemies. Copycat comes at level 22, but is not needed; ignore it. Fake Tears at level 25 may be mildly useful, but not being Nasty Plot, it will only work against one target and Minun will then need to start it all over again, which it often will not be able to, due to its lacking endurance. Charge, at level 28, is not exceptional as far as power boosts go, but the Special Defense increase is something Minun can benefit from, since its special bulk is not terrible. Discharge, at level 31, is the long awaited upgrade to Electro Ball, and should be learned right away if Minun does not yet know Thunderbolt. Minun can also opt for Baton Pass at level 34, as a long-term investment; it learns several setup moves whose effects can be passed on to teammates. Agility is one example, and it comes at level 37, right after Baton Pass. Minun also learns Trump Card at level 40, but the move powers up far too slowly for Minun's bulk; Echoed Voice, available much earlier in the game, has better damage output. Thunder, at level 43, is a good choice for Rain Dance sets, but regular sets should prefer Thunderbolt for accuracy reasons. Another setup move is Nasty Plot, which Minun learns at level 46; if the enemy lead cannot kill Minun in one move, and Minun can outspeed all other Pokémon, the move will likely provide Minun a ticket to victory. Minun should not learn Entrainment at level 49, which is useless. It should also be noted that Minun can learn Nuzzle by Move Reminder. Like most Electric-types, Minun's TM pool is limited, but it covers its needs well enough. STAB options include Thunderbolt for sheer power, and both Charge Beam and Volt Switch for utility; Wild Charge is technically available, but Minun's Attack is so low that even Adamant ones are unlikely to deal more damage with physical moves than special ones. Grass Knot adds to its coverage, as well. The only other non-Normal offensive special move Minun can learn is Hidden Power, though a Water-typed one can go very well with Rain Dance; if running a rain set, Thunder should be preferred over Thunderbolt. Light Screen is a notable defensive option, which increases Minun's chances of setting up successfully against specially-oriented foes. DexNav Minun may get access to Discharge early, as it is also an Egg move. They may also know support moves such as Sing, Sweet Kiss and Wish, but all of them are either inaccurate or run off a too poor base HP stat to function properly. Recommended movesets: ''Nasty Plot: Nasty Plot, Light Screen, Thunderbolt, Grass Knot'' ''Rain Dance: Rain Dance, Thunder, Hidden Power Water, Light Screen / Grass Knot / Charge Beam'' ''Baton Pass: Baton Pass, Nasty Plot, Agility, Thunderbolt'' ''Bait-and-Run (Support): Nuzzle, Light Screen, Volt Switch, Wish / Lovely Kiss / Switcheroo an appropriate item'' Recommended Teammates * Pokémon that are good against Ground-types: Minun is only weak to Ground, and Hoenn is ripe with Ground counters of many kinds. Grass- and Flying-types provide a more defensive answer, respectively resisting and being immune to Ground moves; Water-types provide a solely offensive answer, but an equally good one at that, and are more common to find. Another option is to have a Pokémon with Levitate on board. ** Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others: Sceptile, Swampert, Ludicolo, Pelipper, Breloom, Azumarill, Bellossom, Skarmory, Flygon, Altaria, Whiscash, Claydol, Tropius, Xatu * Physical tanks: Minun's Defense is very low; it will not win if faced with a potent physical sweeper. A proper answer is needed for strong physical moves; if the physical wall can also learn Reflect and/or offers a resistance or immunity to Ground moves, the synergy with Minun will be even better. ** Good Pokémon that fit this description include, among others: Swampert, Pelipper, Slaking, Weezing, Skarmory, Altaria, Claydol, Donphan Other Minun's stats * What Nature do I want? Modest. Since Minun will never need its Attack, and its Special Attack is only average, Modest will work best. Calm and Timid are somewhat useful, too; Bold, while not entirely harmful, will not help Minun much, as its Defense is too low even with a boost. * How good is Minun in a Nuzlocke? Not bad, thanks to its typing and early availability of Volt Switch. Though by far not the best resident Electric-type of the team, Minun is surprisingly capable and can even pack a punch with Nasty Plot, providing it finds the opportunity to set up. * Weaknesses: Ground * Resistances: Flying, Steel, Electric * Immunities: None * Neutralities: Normal, Fighting, Poison, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Fire, Water, Grass, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Dark, Fairy Category:Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire Category:List of Evolutionary Lines with Completed Analyses